1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medical patient care equipment and more particularly to a blockage prevention device for body fluid collection systems of the type having a flexible collection bag which is mounted on the body of a patient to receive body fluids therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A problem which is frequently encountered in medical practice is the drainage and collection of fluids which accumulate in various cavities of the human body. In the urinary system, catheters are frequently inserted in the urethra to drain the urine which accumulates in the bladder when the patient is incontinent or the urethral canal function is impaired. When the functioning of the bladder itself is impaired, however, or where the drainage must be carried out over a prolonged period of time, an ileal conduit operation may be performed on the patient. In this operation, the ileum, which is the last division of the small intestine extending between the jejunum and the large intestine, is sectioned to form an ileal conduit which is brought out through the abdominal wall of the patient, so that the patient's urine is vented from the body through the ileal conduit instead of passing through the bladder and urethral canal. The patient is provided with a collection bag which is mounted on the abdomen of the patient at the mouth or stoma of the ileal conduit, so that the urine excreted by the patient flows directly into the bag. The collection bags are generally fabricated of a flexible material, such as rubber or a plastic, for example, and are provided with a bag outlet in the neck or bottom portion of the bag through which the collected urine is drained. When the patient is ambulatory, the outlet in the neck portion of the bag is provided with a cap so that the patient may empty the collected urine at suitable intervals of time.
Since the patient has no control over the flow of urine from the ileal conduit, it is customary for the patient to connect the outlet of the bag to a larger capacity, storage receptacle by means of a connection tube when retiring for the night, so that the bag will not fill up when the patient is not awake to empty it. The same collection system is also utilized when the patient is not ambulatory or is physically or mentally unable to empty the ileal conduit collection bag at required time intervals. When the collection bag is coupled by the connection tube to the storage receptacle, however, it frequently happens that the drainage of urine through the outlet of the collection bag is blocked because the flexible bag becomes twisted or folded over upon itself at the neck portion and prevents the fluid in the bag from flowing out through the bag outlet. Since this blockage may occur at night when the patient is asleep or may occur with a patient who is physically or mentally unable to straighten the bag to eliminate the blockage, it becomes important that means be devised to prevent blockages of this type from interfering with the operation of the collection system. A suitable blockage prevention device to solve this problem should be usable with the various types of ileal conduit collection bags which are in use at the present time without the necessity of altering the structure of the bags. Furthermore, the device itself should be easily manufactured and maintained.